THE Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) is urging Filipino innovators, researchers and entrepreneurs to secure intellectual property (IP) protection as a prerequisite to joining the Presidential Filipinnovation Awards, a move aimed at accelerating the commercialization of local innovations.
Under the updated guidelines, entries to the national innovation competition must feature technologies that already have registered intellectual property or at least a pending IP application, according to IPOPHL officials.
IPOPHL Deputy Director General Ann Claire Credo-Cabochan said the requirement reinforces the agency’s goal of transforming Filipino inventions into viable businesses and globally competitive products.
“It is our mission to establish a strong IP system that supports innovation that would inspire our inventors, our creators, our scientists to produce more products and services that have an impact on our lives, which will improve the way we live, which will help our businesses grow and which will impact positively on economic development,” Credo-Cabochan said, in a statement.
IPOPHL, an ex officio member of the National Innovation Council, said the rule is intended to encourage innovators to formally protect their trademarks, patents, utility models and industrial designs.
According to Credo-Cabochan, IP registration not only safeguards inventions but also helps innovators commercialize their products, attract investors and expand into local and international markets.
“It is through registration that your IP is protected. It is also through registration that you are able to commercialize, that you are able to attract investors, and that you are able to scale up the production of your products and access local and foreign markets,” she added.
The Presidential Filipinnovation Awards is considered the country’s highest recognition for early-stage or market-ready Filipino innovations that contribute to national development.
Established under Executive Order 99, the annual competition is organized by the National Innovation Council and implemented by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development.
Eligible applicants must be Filipino citizens or enterprises that are at least 60 percent Filipino-owned and registered with the Department of Trade and Industry, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Cooperative Development Authority.
To qualify, innovations must already be in the early stages of commercialization, such as having a functional prototype or operational model, and must have proof of IP registration or a pending IP application.
Five finalists with the highest rankings in the national competition will receive the Presidential Filipinnovation Award, along with grants and post-competition support to help scale their innovations./ KOC